Annual review of teaching and learning
The University has a process for the annual review of its teaching and learning. Details of the process can be found below.
Introduction
The University uses an annual and extended meeting of the Teaching and Learning Strategy Group (TLSG) as a mechanism for ensuring the oversight, review and further development of its policies, procedures and structures for the support and enhancement of teaching and learning. This event is the culmination of the continuous monitoring of programmes in the university, with an emphasis on self-review and action planning. In addition, there will be a member of the group who is external to the University and a Students' Union representative.
Objectives
The objectives of the annual review process are:
- To ensure the completeness and effectiveness, and where necessary the further development, of policies, procedures and structures to support teaching and learning.
- To ensure the full and effective implementation of procedures for: programme approval and amendment, institutional approval, continuous monitoring, periodic review, collaborative review, and external examining.
- To build on the outcome of policies and procedures to support teaching and learning in order to further develop approaches to enhancing the quality of provision.
- To seek assurances from Faculties that quality assurance processes and assessment practices have taken place, in accordance with the Assessment Framework and the Quality Framework.
The process is based on peer review that is collective, reflective and respectful. The extended meeting focuses on critical reflection, dialogue, and action planning.
Annual themes are used to structure the review process so that all aspects of the University's policies, procedures and structures in respect of teaching and learning are reviewed annually. Institutional issues are fed up through programmes, Schools and Faculties using the continuous monitoring process, for consideration at the appropriate level.
Terminology and timescales
1. Annual Review of Teaching and Learning
The process by which the health of the institutional processes for QAE and Teaching and Learning are monitored and enhanced. This process is the culmination of all programme monitoring activity which has taken place in the University from the previous year.
2. Faculty Evaluation
Summary of continuous monitoring information, collated by the Faculty, highlighting issues at a Faculty level for consideration in both APR (Annual Performance Review) and Annual Review of Teaching and Learning.
3. Review of Teaching and Learning Evaluation Report
Produced by the Head of Teaching and Learning Delivery (TLD) as a result of the consideration of the Faculty Evaluations.
4. Review of Teaching and Learning Review Report
Report produced as a result of the extended meeting of TLG, including an action plan for the development and enhancement of teaching and learning.
Timescales:
| March - August |
Faculties take the opportunity to discuss issues outlined in the Checklist for Faculty Evaluations (Appendix 3) in Faculty T&L committees. These discussions and the notes of the meetings will then contribute to the development of the Faculty Evaluation in September and reinforce the ethos of continuous monitoring. |
| September | Faculties submit the Faculty Evaluations as part of APR and to TLD for consideration in the Annual Review of Teaching and Learning. |
| September - October |
Review of Teaching and Learning Evaluation Report is drafted by the Head of TLD, collating themes and issues from the Faculty Evaluations. |
| November | Agenda set and extended meeting of TLG takes place. |
| November |
Review of Teaching and Learning Report and action plan is drafted. |
| December - September |
Faculties take the opportunity to discuss the issues outlined in the Faculty Guidance for inclusion in subsequent Faculty Evaluations (See Appendix 6). These discussions and the notes of the meetings will contribute to the development of the Faculty Evaluation in the following September and reinforce the ethos of continuous monitoring. |
Appendix 1 - Quality Assurance Proforma
Pro forma for Faculties to complete with regards to key quality assurance procedures as part of the Annual Review of Teaching and Learning.
Appendix 2 - Annual Review of Teaching and Learning University Report
The ARTL University report is produced by the Head of TLD and outlines:
- any specific issues arising from the operation of the procedures for programme approval, continuous monitoring, periodic review, institutional approval, collaborative review, and external examiners (e.g. suggestions for the further development of the procedures);
- any issues of concern relating to quality and standards as discussed by the Teaching and Learning Group (TLG);
- any issues that the Teaching and Learning Management Group (TLMG) wishes to bring to the attention of the TLG;
- any issues ongoing from institutional reviews or engagements;
- developments as a result of, including ongoing or outstanding issues from, the previous meeting's action plan.
The University report has the following appendices:
- Appendix 1: New Programme Approvals and Programme Amendments from the previous academic year
- Appendix 2: Periodic reviews that took place during the previous academic year: list and main themes
- Appendix 3: New partnerships approved via Institutional Approval during the previous academic year
- Appendix 4: Partnerships reviewed via Collaborative Review during the previous academic year
- Appendix 5: New policies approved by TLG during the previous academic year
- Appendix 6: Issues arising from External Examiner reports for undergraduate and postgraduate taught provision (based on reports received in the previous academic year)
- Appendix 7: Draft Action plan for the following academic year.
Appendix 3 - Checklist for Faculty Evaluations
Introduction
The Faculty Annual Evaluation happens on a continuous cycles through out the year, with the discussion taking place through Faculty Teaching and Learning Committees. Discussions cover three main areas:
- Issues arising from annual monitoring discussions and periodic review events. Faculty-wide issues or those that concern a number of Schools within a Faculty. Trends, issues, innovations and key changes that have had a significant impact and either require discussion and/or may be of interest to others.
- A reflection on the completeness and effectiveness of policies, procedures and structures to support teaching and learning.
- A statement of assurances from Faculty that their responsibilities with respect to the function of the Quality Framework have been completed and are sustainable into the forthcoming academic year (see Appendix 1 - Quality Assurance Pro forma).
This guidance note sets out a series of prompts to structure the Faculty Evaluation agenda, which can be incorporated within the usual business. The Faculty Evaluation report is a summary of the year's activity and should be submitted to the Planning Support Office by September each year, for use in the Operational and Performance Review meetings that take place in October. The Faculty evaluation is an appendix to the main document.
It is suggested that the evaluation can takes the form of a summary report which makes reference to the discussion of the issues in a meeting of relevant persons, within the Faculty and School, possibly Faculty Teaching and Learning committees. Utilising the Faculty committee structure will allow Faculty's and Schools to conduct meaningful dialogue on the issues in a forum where information and suggested developments can be captured and followed up, subsequently.
Each Faculty Evaluation is also submitted to the Head of TLD. Issues and innovations arising from these four separate reports are incorporated into a Review of Teaching and Learning Evaluation Report and draft action plan which is considered by a special meeting of the TLG in November.
The Faculty Evaluation should cover undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes, including collaborative provision.
Advice and further information can be obtained from Jo Hicks, Teaching and Learning Manager (Quality) Ext 53299.
For the actual checklist, please see the link below:-
Appendix 4 - Example outline agenda
Annual Review of Teaching and Learning 20**/20**
Special meeting of the Teaching and Learning Strategy Group
** November 20**
Agenda
11.00 Welcome and introductions
11.15 Consideration of progress against the action plan from the Nov 20** meeting.
11.45 Discussion and Approval of the draft action plan for Nov 20** meeting, arising from the T&L Evaluation Report.
12.15 Discussion of themes for 20**
(Examples:)
- Staff Development and Support (including peer observation of teaching).
- Recognition and reward of excellence in teaching (including teaching sabbaticals and awards).
- Use of funds to develop teaching and learning.
- Information on teaching and learning (including the Teaching and Learning Delivery website, Student Handbooks, Programme/Unit Specifications, web pages, Key Information Sets (KIS)).
(Note: These will change depending on the themes developed as a result of the Faculty Evaluations).
13.00 Working lunch
13.30 Consideration of other issues (please notify the secretary and chair prior to the meeting taking place).
14.00 Discussion of innovative practice
14.30 Summary and agreement of actions
15.00 Close
For a printable version of this page, please click on the link below:-
Appendix 5 - Relationship between Annual Performance Review (APR), Continuous Monitoring and Annual
APR
APR is an annual review which assesses the health of the Institution as a whole. Each Faculty and central administrative areas are required to provide a record of their performance and a justification for under performance which is considered before a panel chaired by the President. This evaluation provides an overview of a range of institutional activities including financial health, results of the management survey, Risk and Compliance, staff development and Equality and Diversity compliance, as well as research and Teaching and Learning activities. The meeting of the panel to review the submissions and key performance indicators take place in October of each year, reviewing the previous year's activities and setting goals for the following year. The key role of the review is to benchmark the institutions progress against the goals within 'Manchester 2020'. Schools are required to report, quarterly to the Faculty who are then required to submit the APR documentation for September, each year.
Continuous Monitoring
Continuous Monitoring provides a system of processes and fora within which the academic development of programmes can be assessed, monitored and enhanced, while paying particular attention to external benchmarks and the experience of students. The Continuous Monitoring process has been developed to ensure that issues are dealt with at an appropriate level in the University. In addition, it enables opportunities for dialogue, development and honest evaluations of practice. However, the continuous monitoring process and the Annual Review of Teaching and Learning uses the same documents at the Faculty and Institutional levels as the APR process. This helps to prevent the duplication of data and effort and provides links between the Annual Review of Teaching and Learning as a whole and APR, at each level of the University.
School: Schools are required to provide 'Performance Review' information as well as continuous monitoring data and evaluations on a quarterly basis. This output is then collated at Faculty level through the co-ordinated activities of the T&L committee structures, where all Schools are represented.
Faculty: Each Faculty is required to submit an APR document which includes information derived from each Schools quarterly submission and continuous monitoring activities. This document includes summaries and evaluations of all the School level activities and includes an evaluation on T&L activities, research and process evaluations as well as the consideration of statistical information. The Teaching and Learning report is just one of many performance indicators considered within APR but as it has a particular focus on teaching and learning and Quality Assurance, this document is also submitted to the Head of TLD and forms the basis for discussion and debate at the Annual Review of Teaching and Learning and development of the Quality Framework specifically. In this context the paper is know as the 'Faculty Evaluation'.
Institutional Level: The Faculty Evaluation submissions for all four faculties are used in summary, and after discussion with Faculty colleagues to inform the Annual Review of Teaching and Learning Evaluation Report, produced by the Head of TLD. This report is then used to inform an extended meeting of the Teaching and Learning Group to assess the suitability of the processes, institutional structures for Teaching and Learning and Quality Assurance and enhancement of academic programmes. The process also highlights general issues and good practice. This meeting will result in the 'Annual Review of Teaching and Learning Report' and an institutional led action plan.
Information for the current year's ARTL
Information for the current year's ARTL can be found at: